Aufgebblasen

Aufgebblasen is a nonstandard spelling of the German past participle of the verb aufblasen, which means to inflate or puff up. The standard participle is aufgeblasen, and in perfect constructions one would say zum Beispiel: Der Ballon ist aufgeblasen. The form aufgebblasen can occur as a misspelling or, less commonly, as a regional or historical variant, but it is not regarded as standard in contemporary German.

Etymology and formation: aufblasen is a separable prefix verb formed from auf- (up, open) and blasen (to blow). In the past participle, the prefix plus the verb yields aufgeblasen, with the ge- prefix attached to the stem blasen. The word can function as an adjective as well, describing something that has been inflated or puffed up, either literally (a tire, a balloon) or figuratively (an inflated or pompous style).

Usage and senses: Literally, it describes objects filled with air or gas, e.g., ein aufgeblasener Ballon, eine aufgeblasene Luftmatratze. Figuratively, it can denote pretentiousness or arrogance, as in eine aufgeblasene Rede or eine aufgeblasene Persönlichkeit. The figurative sense is common in journalistic or colloquial German.

Notes: When encountering aufgebblasen, consider it likely a misspelling of aufgeblasen. If precision is required, use aufgeblasen in writing and in data or dictionaries. See also aufblasen, aufgeblasene Adjektive, and related discussants of separable-prefix verbs.